Ground Turkey or Ground Beef
The type of meat you use in this recipe is again, a matter of personal preference. My family often enjoys ground turkey in recipes. If you decide to use ground beef, skip the olive oil in the recipe and make sure to drain the fat from the pan before moving on. In addition to being a hit with the kids, I love this recipe because it comes together simply with easy-to-find ingredients. Finally, this recipe freezes really well, so it makes perfect leftover lunches for me.
Bell peppers: You want to look for bigger peppers that will hold a lot of filling since this recipe makes so much. Ground turkey: You could also make this recipe with ground beef, read more on this below. Olive oil: This is to prevent the turkey from sticking to the skillet. However, if you are cooking with ground beef, you can eliminate this. Taco seasoning: Homemade or store-bought, read more on this below. Black beans: Thoroughly rinsed and drained. If you want to use dry black beans you will need to soak them and cook them before using them in this recipe. Frozen corn: I love using frozen corn in recipes because it is actually already cooked. It typically can be thrown in at the last minute and the heat from the dish will warm it perfectly. Shredded cheddar cheese: See my tip below on shredding cheese from a block. Microwaveable rice: Another way we keep this recipe quick and convenient. Salsa: I love my homemade salsa recipe, but you could certainly use store-bought here as well.
Prepare the peppers. Read more on this below. Cook the turkey. Add some olive oil with the ground turkey and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through. Make the filling. Mix together the browned taco meat, black beans, salsa, frozen corn, some cheese, and the cooked rice in a large bowl. Stuff the peppers. Put the peppers on a baking sheet and divide the mixture among the peppers. Bake for 30 minutes. Add the remainder of the cheese to the top of the peppers and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy! Top the peppers with sour cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and pickled jalapeños.
In this recipe, I use four bell peppers, cut in half from top to bottom. I then carefully cut out the seed pod inside the pepper and remove the ribbing. We microwave them to soften them before baking, cutting down on the overall baking time of the recipe. As noted in the recipe card, if your peppers are on the smaller side, you may have leftover filling. You could also add in an extra pepper or two, and simply remove the tops from the peppers and fill them whole, rather than after being cut in half.
Shredded Cheese
I highly recommend that you shred cheese from the block for this recipe, and really any recipe that calls for shredded cheese. The reason for this is because pre-shredded cheese, while a time saver, does not melt as well. In order to keep the shreds in individual pieces in the bag, they are coated in preservatives. These same preservatives keep the cheese from melting well. Spend a few extra minutes on this recipe and shred the cheese from the block.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat by putting them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or on half power in the microwave. You could also reheat them in the air fryer. My recipe for taco seasoning contains instructions for making a big batch or a small amount. The small batch is enough to perfectly replace the amount that comes in a packet from the grocery store. The larger batch is great to keep on hand because we use it in so many recipes like my easy chicken tostadas, my taco spaghetti, and my taco pinwheels. Three tablespoons of the big batch will replace the store-bought packet. Whatever type of rice you use, you are looking for 2 cups of cooked rice. If you make this recipe or any of my other stuffed pepper recipes, make sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Salsa: The recipe calls for salsa in the filling, but more can be added on top. Sour Cream Pickled Jalapeños Olives Chopped Tomatoes
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